Campus news briefs

Spendlove reports discrimination to university police:

Harrison Spendlove, an openly gay Weber State University student who said he was discriminated against while he campaigned for legislative vice president last week, reported the incidents to university police Friday morning.

Spendlove said he found a note on his car Tuesday night in which the author mentioned his campaign, threatened to cause him physical harm and doomed him to hell because of his sexual orientation.

When the story about the alleged discrimination was published online Thursday, Spendlove had yet to report the incident to police, but after speaking with his advisers Friday morning, he decided it was in the best interest of both himself and the campus community to file the report.

A day before he received the note, Spendlove said he was approached by students who said they would not vote for him while he campaigned in the Shepherd Union Building Atrium. When he asked them why, they said it was because he is gay.

Voting for student senate begins Monday:

Students can begin voting for student senate positions Monday. The voting will continue through Thursday.

Next week’s senate elections follow one of the best voting turnouts for executive positions in recent years, with more than 2,200 students voting for the student body president. There are 21 senate positions and 29 candidates.

Rep. Rob Bishop gives campaign tips:

U.S. Representative Rob Bishop (R), of Utah’s First District, spoke about effective campaigning in the Alumni Center Friday afternoon.

He said that after Jason Chaffetz won his congressional seat, Chaffetz probably gave too much credit to social media. He said Chaffetz’s hard work knocking on doors and meeting constituents was his most important campaigning.

Bishop spoke extensively about campaign signs, stressing that good signs are simple and professional. He said ‘cute’ signs don’t work and candidates who don’t have the right look shouldn’t usually put their faces on signs.

“I have never put my sign on anything, for obvious reasons,” Bishop joked.

He also spoke about the significant increase in campaign spending, since he spent only $300 during his first winning campaign for the Utah State House of Representatives in 1979. He said candidates now spend as much as $60,000 during a campaign.

Bishop’s speech was part of WSU’s Political Leadership Institute Seminar Series.